[House Report 111-69]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 31
111th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - House Report 111-69
OVERSIGHT PLANS
FOR ALL
HOUSE COMMITTEES
with accompanying recommendations
----------
by the
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
(Required by House Rule X, Clause 2(d)(2))
March 31, 2009.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
OVERSIGHT PLANS FOR ALL HOUSE COMMITTEES
with accompanying recommendations
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Union Calendar No. 31
111th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - House Report 111-69
OVERSIGHT PLANS
FOR ALL
HOUSE COMMITTEES
with accompanying recommendations
__________
by the
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
(Required by House Rule X, Clause 2(d)(2))
March 31, 2009.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York, Chairman
PAUL E. KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania DARRELL E. ISSA, California
CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York DAN BURTON, Indiana
ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland JOHN M. McHUGH, New York
DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Ohio JOHN L. MICA, Florida
JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana
WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania
DIANE E. WATSON, California JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr., Tennessee
STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio
JIM COOPER, Tennessee LYNN A. WESTMORELAND, Georgia
GERRY E. CONNOLLY, Virginia PATRICK T. McHENRY, North Carolina
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California
Columbia JIM JORDAN, Ohio
PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island JEFF FLAKE, Arizona
DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska
CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland JASON CHAFFETZ, Utah
HENRY CUELLAR, Texas AARON SCHOCK, Illinois
PAUL W. HODES, New Hampshire
CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, Connecticut
PETER WELCH, Vermont
BILL FOSTER, Illinois
JACKIE SPEIER, California
STEVE DRIEHAUS, Ohio
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Ron Stroman, Staff Director
Michael McCarthy, Deputy Staff Director
Carla Hultberg, Chief Clerk
Larry Brady, Minority Staff Director
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C O N T E N T S
__________
Page
Recommendations.................................................. 1
Agriculture...................................................... 6
Appropriations................................................... 14
Armed Services................................................... 22
Budget........................................................... 61
Education and Labor.............................................. 66
Energy and Commerce.............................................. 71
Financial Services............................................... 79
Foreign Affairs.................................................. 102
Homeland Security................................................ 130
House Administration............................................. 142
Judiciary........................................................ 150
Natural Resources................................................ 161
Oversight and Government Reform.................................. 177
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence....................... 203
Rules............................................................ 213
Science and Technology........................................... 227
Small Business................................................... 302
Standards of Official Conduct.................................... 319
Transportation and Infrastructure................................ 323
Veterans' Affairs................................................ 343
Ways and Means................................................... 352
(iii)
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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
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House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, March 31, 2009.
Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Madame Speaker:
In accordance with Rule X(2)(d)(2) of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, I respectfully submit the oversight
plans of each committee together with recommendations to ensure
the most effective coordination of such plans and otherwise
achieve the objectives of the House Rules.
Edolphus Towns, Chairman.
(v)
Union Calendar No. 31
111th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 111-69
======================================================================
OVERSIGHT PLANS FOR ALL HOUSE COMMITTEES WITH ACCOMPANYING
RECOMMENDATIONS
_______
March 31, 2009.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Edolphus Towns, from the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform submitted the following
REPORT
OVERSIGHT IN THE 111TH CONGRESS
RECOMMENDATIONS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
I. Overview
One of Congress' main constitutional responsibilities is to
conduct oversight to check abuses by the other branches of
government and ensure the effective operation of our laws. As
the Supreme Court recognized 50 years ago:
The power of the Congress to conduct investigations is
inherent in the legislative process. That power is
broad. It encompasses inquiries concerning the
administration of existing laws as well as proposed or
possibly needed statutes.
It includes surveys of defects in our social, economic
or political system for the purpose of enabling
Congress to remedy them. It comprehends probes into
departments of the Federal Government to expose
corruption, inefficiency or waste.\1\
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\1\Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178, 187 (1957).
Oversight activities have uncovered significant waste,
fraud, and abuse throughout the Federal Government. The
Government Accountability Office (GAO), which conducts
investigations at the request of Members of Congress, reports
that the financial benefits from its work in fiscal year 2008
alone totaled $58 billion.\2\ Vigilant and constructive
oversight can identify and remedy problems in government
agencies before they lead to national catastrophes.
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\2\U.S. Government Accountability Office, Performance and
Accountability Report Fiscal Year 2008 (GAO 09-1SP) (Nov. 2008).
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The 111th Congress has recognized the importance of
oversight through an amendment to the House rules. H. Res. 40,
adopted on January 14, 2009, requires each committee to hold at
least three hearings annually on waste, fraud, abuse, or
mismanagement in the programs authorized by that committee.
Such hearings should focus on egregious cases of waste or fraud
identified by agency Inspectors General or the GAO, and on
issues identified by GAO as high-risk. In addition, committees
are required to hold a hearing if agencies within their
jurisdiction fail to receive a clean audit of their financial
statements from GAO.
House Rule X, Clause 2 recognizes Congress' critical
oversight duties, establishing a process whereby each standing
committee is required to adopt an oversight plan for that
Congress. Under this rule, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform is to review the various plans and, in
consultation with the Speaker, the Majority Leader, and the
Minority Leader, report to the House the oversight plans along
with any recommendations that the House leadership and the
Committee may have to ensure effective coordination.
Pursuant to this rule, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform has reviewed and consulted with House
leadership about the oversight plans of the standing House
committees for the 110th Congress. These plans outline an
ambitious blueprint for meeting Congress' oversight
responsibilities. The Oversight Committee has several
recommendations regarding coordination of oversight in the
House of Representatives.
The committee first recommends that all committees draw on
the wide variety of available oversight resources in their
ongoing efforts to evaluate oversight needs and priorities.
GAO, in particular, has vast experience both in conducting and
evaluating the need for oversight. GAO also recently issued its
biannual ``High Risk'' report, which identifies government
programs that are particularly vulnerable to waste, fraud, or
abuse.\3\ Another valuable resource for congressional oversight
is the agency Inspectors General, who can provide guidance to
Congress through their audit plans and individual counsel.
Committees should also review relevant court rulings, past
committee legislative and oversight reports, and the findings
of other experts. An investigation by the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform found 13,847 Inspector General
recommendations, which could have saved taxpayers $25.9
billion, had not been implemented by agencies.
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\3\U.S. Government Accountability Office, High Risk Series: An
Update (GAO-09-271) (Jan. 2009).
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In addition, in any oversight effort, the committees should
seek the expertise of the Committee on House Administration and
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct if any questions
arise regarding appropriate use of House resources and the
standards of conduct applicable to members and staff. The
oversight plans submitted by these two committees reflect a
commitment to ensuring that all House committees have the tools
and guidance necessary to facilitate efficient and ethical
oversight.
Further, the task of ensuring accountability and
appropriate policies on complex issues often requires the
participation of multiple committees. Based on their respective
jurisdictions and experience, different committees can lend
varying types of expertise to the evaluation of a given matter.
The oversight plans approved by the committees for the 111th
Congress recognize that a number of key issues demand scrutiny
by several different committees. With respect to such issues,
the committees and subcommittees should be in close
communication to ensure that they share the benefits of their
findings and unique expertise, as well as to avoid duplication
or redundancy.
Part II below describes a few examples of important areas
identified by committees on which these recommendations may be
instructive.
II. Examples of Key Oversight Areas
THE ECONOMY
The current economic situation has revealed systemic
problems within the U.S. financial sector. Several committees
plan to conduct historical investigations of practices that led
to the current economic climate and pursue oversight of current
economic rescue and recovery programs. The Committee on
Financial Services will review a range of issues, including
reform of the financial regulatory system and implementation of
the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The Committee on Ways
and Means is reviewing economic competitiveness and job
creation. Other committees, including the Committee on
Agriculture, Committee on Education and Labor, Committee on the
Judiciary, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and
Committee on Small Business, will review how to improve the
availability of credit in the programs that they administer, as
well as retirement and pension security. Additionally,
committees will review executive compensation and bonus
practices at firms receiving capital investments from
taxpayers.
The implementation of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act will be a major topic for oversight by nearly
all House committees. The Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform is planning to review accountability and transparency
measures and will conduct a series of field hearings to review
how stimulus spending is working in states and local
communities. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
will conduct oversight of infrastructure programs and the
Committee on Energy and Commerce will review health information
technology and energy efficiency programs, as will the
Committee on Science and Technology. The scope of the stimulus
package affects government programs under the jurisdiction of
nearly all House committees and all plan to conduct ongoing and
constructive oversight.
HEALTH CARE
Access to quality, affordable health care is a national
priority. Several House committees will pursue an oversight
agenda to address issues of uninsured Americans, health care
for children, modernizing the Medicare and Medicaid system, and
preventing treatable chronic disease. The Committee on Energy
and Commerce is reviewing the capacity of the Food and Drug
Administration to ensure the safety of prescription and over
the counter drugs, as well as reviewing the safety of the
nation's food supply. The Committee on Ways and Means will
focus on the delivery of health care services through the
Medicare program. The Committee on Foreign Affairs is reviewing
global AIDS programs, and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
will examine the Department of Veterans Affairs health care
delivery structure.
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Global climate change and energy efficiency and
independence are complex and significant issues that this
Congress will address through both oversight and legislative
action. Accordingly, multiple committees are planning oversight
activities to consider the impacts of global warming on our
environment and policy options for sustainable energy. The
Committee on Energy and Commerce is planning a broad review of
climate change, environmental pollution and hazardous waste,
and energy security. The Committee on Natural Resources is
reviewing the effects of climate change on federal land, water,
fish, and wildlife resources. The Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform is conducting oversight of project and
contract management at the Department of Energy and Nuclear
Regulatory Commission. And the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure will examine clean water infrastructure needs
and water resources development projects.
HOUSING
Foreclosures, predatory lending, and a lack of affordable
housing are a major component of the current economic
situation. The House will undertake a broad review of housing
policy and the role of housing in the U.S. economy and in
building livable communities. The Committee on Financial
Services will review mortgage lending, foreclosures, and the
availability of loan modifications. The Committee on the
Judiciary will review allegations of predatory lending and
mortgage fraud.
NATIONAL SECURITY
National security continues to be a priority for oversight
in the House. The Committee on Armed Services will review
defense strategy and policy, including the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan and global counter-terrorism activities. The
Committee on Foreign Affairs will oversee U.S. foreign policy
globally, with emphasis on critical regions including the
Middle East. The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
will review the security situation in Iraq and Afghanistan,
proliferation issues, and covert action programs.
HOMELAND SECURITY
A number of committees will be conducting oversight to
ensure the Nation is best prepared to address homeland security
threats and domestic emergencies. The Committee on Homeland
Security's oversight agenda includes intelligence and
information sharing practices, transportation and border
security, port and maritime security, and cybersecurity. The
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will oversee
aviation and rail security and the performance of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
III. Conclusion
The oversight plans approved by the standing House
committees present a strategy for effective, sustained, and
constructive oversight consistent with the constitutional
mandate of Article I. The Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform will continue to work with the other House committees
and the House leadership throughout the 111th Congress to
promote effective congressional oversight.
[The oversight plans of all House committees follow:]